Orthodox Rabbis Condemn Reprinting of Cartoons

February 6, 2006

Source: The Jerusalem Post

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1138622563595&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

On February 6, 2006 The Jerusalem Post reported, "A group of religious Zionist rabbis has said that Israeli media reprinting of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad oversteps the bounds of journalistic freedom.

Reprinting the caricatures hurts Israeli Arabs' feelings, said Rabbi David Stav, one of the heads of the Petah Tikva hesder yeshiva and a Tzohar rabbi.

'Freedom of speech does not include the right to hurt the feelings of another,' said Stav, who represents a group of 14 Orthodox rabbis who belong to Kedem, an interfaith group that includes Muslim and Christian clerics. Other members are Baruch Gigi, one of the heads of Har Etzion Yeshiva in Alon Shvut, and Rabbi Shmuel Reiner of the Religious Kibbutz Movement.

Kedem was established three years ago to foster dialogue among the three monotheistic religions. It champions causes dear to each side."